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EXCLUSIVE: Rising OPM duo Better Days reveals the inspiration behind their band name: ‘Our music is not just about the good times’

Article (news)

Jemuel Tandoc

Push Team

<p>As OPM continues to evolve and grow, new bands are emerging—among them is Better Days, a promising two-piece act composed of Nigel Aboy and Nim Garcia.</p><p>In an exclusive interview with PUSH ABS-CBN, Nigel Aboy shared the meaningful story behind their uplifting and distinctive band name.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1747281880740IMG_0122.jpg" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>“Actually, yung pangalan ng Better Days, ang nag-isip noon is yung management. Sila yung nagbuo sa amin, nahanap lang nila kami. Pero ang alam kong meaning ng Better Days is originally parang good vibes lang. Our music is not just about the good times, it&#x27;s also about, you know, how you get through the bad times in order to get through better days. Yun yung interpretation namin ng pangalan ng Better Days,” Nigel explained.</p><p>He also recalled being scouted for the band back in his high school years, marking the beginning of his musical journey.</p><p>“Nag-start yun high school ako. Tapos, may nag-attend na certain band. Pumunta sila sa school namin for a tour. I think I was in grade 12 or grade 11 nung time na yun. May nakapanood sa amin ng artist,  tapos nag-exchange kami ng contact. Yung artist na yun, siya si Tatsi Jamnague ng Gracenote. Siya yung guitarist. Tapos, nag-exchange kami ng contact and then, few years later, I received a call again from him. And, invited me to go to a gig ng Soupstar. Nanonood ako and then, yun na pala, nire-recruit na pala ako ng Soupstar,” he shared.</p><p>The other half of the duo, Nim Garcia, also shared how he unexpectedly became part of the band.</p><p>“I met someone online na naging friend ko. And then, that friend knew another friend who knew Nigel. And, ayun, literal, by chance lang, it&#x27;s very interesting because I wasn&#x27;t in the know with how the OPM industry works. I didn&#x27;t know. So, nung pumasok ako, parang tinanong, ‘Kailangan ng keyboardist? Gusto mo?’ (Sumagot ako) ‘Okay.’ Hindi ako sure kung gaano kabigat yung parang pinapasok ko. I didn&#x27;t understand. Pero, ayun, eventually, parang, ‘Whoa, I&#x27;m here”, Nim recalled.</p><p>Originally a four-piece act with a bassist and drummer, Better Days eventually transitioned into a duo after the other members took a break from the band—a setup that has proven to work well for both Nim and Nigel.</p><p>“For the longest time, I don&#x27;t know, there&#x27;s this certain wavelength ng utak ko na hindi ko siya malabas. Hindi ko siya ma-express up until na-meet ko si Nigel. And, I guess, (even though) I met him  through a friend, mas naging close kami. Mas nag-click kami,” Nim shared.</p><p>Nigel also shared that being a duo has made things easier for them, allowing for a more focused creative process.</p><p>“In terms of being a duo, sa Better Days, masaya siya na mas madali kami naka-exchange ideas ni Nims. We get to decide faster. Kasi, it&#x27;s either just yes or no. Nung dati, four-piece kami. That was kind of the struggle, lalo na bata pa kami nun, like, three years ago. We were younger, we were newer to the industry. We had different plans. Bata pa kami. Honestly, as a starting band, nung four-piece kami, maraming disagreements, maraming sudden happenings. So, ngayon na duo kami. It&#x27;s easier, I would say,” he recalled.</p><p>He went on to emphasize the importance of having a strong connection: “it all lies in having good bandmates. I think that if you really connect well with your bandmates, I think it will work out at the end of the day.”</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJO8usXTEYk/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A213167.59999999986%2C%22ls%22%3A212479.80000000005%2C%22le%22%3A213154.69999999995%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="567" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Better Days has just released their newest EP titled <em>What Comes After</em>, featuring fresh tracks like “Miss Suzy,” “Only One in Love,” and “Unahan.”</p>

<p>OPM band Better Days opens up about the meaning behind their name and the journey that led to their formation. The rising two-piece act shares how their bond shapes their music and what makes their partnership click both on and off stage.</p>

OPM band Better Days opens up about the meaning behind their name and the journey that led to their formation. The rising two-piece act shares how their bond shapes their music and what makes their partnership click both on and off stage.